1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a front panel fitting apparatus adapted to fit/remove a front panel of, for example, a DVD+RW player to/from a bottom chassis.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In FIGS. 8 to 12 is shown an example of conventional disk players (refer to Japanese Registered Utility Model No. 3064733 for example), in which a plastic front panel 2 is arranged in a front opening portion of a metal-plate bottom chassis 1 having a DVD (not shown in the figures) inside thereof and a top chassis 3 is arranged in an upper opening portion of the bottom chassis 1, and in which a pair of left and right leg parts 4 provided on either side of the underside of the front panel 2 have respectively: leg bottom plates 4a formed integrally with the front panel 2 and extending to under the bottom chassis 1; substantially U-shaped leg edge plates 4b formed integrally with the respective leg bottom plates 4a from the front edge through the both side edges thereof, and leg longitudinal plates 4c and leg lateral plates 4d formed integrally with the respective leg bottom plates 4a in a branching manner from the respective leg edge plates 4b, rubber bottom plates 6 being applied to the undersurface of the respective leg parts 4 adhesively, engaging holes 8 being formed, respectively, in a pair of left and right wing plates 7 formed integrally with the corner part between the leg parts 4 and the front panel 2, and substantially triangle engaging convex portions 9 being provided at positions opposing the respective engaging holes 8 in a protruding manner by pressing the bottom chassis 1.
Also, an engaging hole 11 is formed in a central part bottom plate 10 provided in a protruding manner integrally with the front panel 2 in the central part thereof and extending to under the bottom chassis 1, a substantially triangle engaging convex portion 12 being provided at a position opposing the engaging hole 11 in a protruding manner by pressing the bottom chassis 1. It is noted that the numerals 13, 14 and 15 indicate, respectively, an opening and closing cover for DVD, a power button, and an operation button.
The fitting process for the front panel 2 will then be described. As shown by virtual lines in FIGS. 11 and 12, a connecting hole 17 in a projecting piece 2a, which extends rearward from the upper edge part of the front panel 2, is engaged with a projecting portion 18 on a crossbeam 1a installed on the front side or in the upper front part of the bottom chassis 1, and then the front panel 2 is rotated downward (indicated by an arrow “a”) centering on the projecting portion 18 to displace each of the leg parts 4 and the wing plates 7 and the central part bottom plate 10 elastically outward (indicated by an arrow “b”), which allows the engaging holes 8 and 11 to be engaged with the respective engaging convex portions 9 and 12 to fit the front panel 2 to the front opening portion of the bottom chassis 1, as shown by solid lines in FIGS. 11 and 12.
In the conventional arrangement as described above, the leg parts 4 have a relatively large rigid structure, which requires excessive force to displace each of the leg parts 4 and the wing plates 7 elastically outward (indicated by the arrow “b”) to fit/remove the front panel 2 to/from the bottom chassis 1, resulting in a lot of trouble and time fitting and removing them.